Hydraulic air-compressor and vacuum-producer



B. SKIDMORE, In. HYDRAULIC AIR CoMPREssoR AND VACUUM PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1918.

1,392,856, Patented ODD. 4, 1921,

earaar pagina.

BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR AND VACUUM-PRODUCER.

Application filed August 12, 1918.

T 0 all whom t mag/concern Beit known that I, BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing Y at Chicago, in the county of Ceok and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air- .Compressors and Vacuum-Producers, of

which the following is a specification.

,- This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic air compressors and vacuum producers, and has for one of its objects to provide improved means embodying a rotatable element for removing a portion of liquid .from a body or supply of liquid and which element also operates to deliver airor gas. "'eous iiuid into the said body or supply to replace the liquid removed therefrom.

In my application Serial No. 216618, I haveV described an improved apparatus of this character in which the rotatable element is given its motion and vits operation by a column of liquid operating thereon, but it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide vimproved means whereby the circulation of a supply or body of liquid will =operate directly upon'the said element at a tangent thereto to assist in rotatingor actuating-the element. In my application, Serial f No. 249755, I "employI a rotatable element for transferring fluid and liquid from 'one container to another, but in said application the :element is rotated by external mechanical means.4

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus of this character for producing either a. vacuum or a compression.

To the attainment of these ends and the .accomplishment of other new and useful obf jects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and'V arrangevment Voi the several parts, hereinafter more .fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this vinvention and in which:

vFigure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an Wimproved apparatus of this character constructed in accordance with 'the principles `of this invention.

' Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Uct. a, 1921. serial No. 249,500.

ing, in Fig. 1 there is shown an adaptation of the invention in connection with a waterfall or elevated body of water 10, coperating with which is a rotatable element 11 loca-ted 'at any desired or suitable distance below the body of water and disposed within a chamber 12, the latter being preferably open at its bottom as at 13, so that liquid in the chamber 12 will be discharged by the element 11, when the latter is rotated, through the opening 13. i

The element 11 is mounted to rotate upon a shaft 14 -journa-led in suitable bearings 15, and the element is disposed within a casing or housing 16, the latter being arranged within and spaced `from the walls of the 1 chamber 12. The walls of the housing stand in close proximity to the periphery of the element 11, which latter is provided with a series of radially projecting faces 17 spaced from each other, and having inclined por tions 1S disposed intermediate the faces 17, so as not to interfere with the rotation of the element 11. The housing 16 is provided with an opening 19 which communicates with the chamber 12 and anv opening 2O which communicates with the open bottom 13 of the housing, so that when the :element 11 is rotated, predetermined quantities of the liquid in the chamber 12 will be trapped in the pockets formedY between the faces 17 and the walls of the housing 16 to be 4Vdelivered through the opening 13, andpredetermined quantities of air or gaseous iiuid will also be trapped'between the pockets of the element 11 and the wall yof the housing 16 to be delivered intothe chamber-12.

rlhe liquid 10 is conveyed to the element 11 and into the chamber 12 preferably by means of a'delivery pipe 21. `rlhe discharge outlet 22 which communicates with the chamber 12 adjacent the element 11, is disposed at a tangent to the element 11, so that the inflow of the `liquid through the passage 21 and out of the discharge outlet 22'will impinge the faces A17 of the element 11 and therebyrotate the same.V The'air or gaseous fluid which is conveyed by the element 11 into the chamber 12 will pass inthe form ofbubbles into the chamber 12, and into a suitable reservoir 23, arranged at a suitable elevation, and which reservoir 423 has communication by means of an-extension 24 with the chamber 12. r-Ihe reservoir 23V is provided with a discharge outlet pipe 25 having a Contrcllng valve A26 therena So that a compression may be obtained in the reservoir 23. 1

The liquid Will flow through the inlet 21 and into the chamber 12 as long as the pressure on the inowing liquid is greater than the pressure upon the liquid in the chamber 12 and Aduring the rotation of the element 11, predetermined quantities of the liquid .Y in the chamber 12 will be delivered by the element 11 out of the opening 13, butwhen the pressure in the reservoir 23 counteibalances the pressure in the inlet v21, the -element 11 Will fceaseto rotate.

' The air or gaseous fluid which remains in y close proximity to theelement, as it is discharged into the chamber 12, maybe removed from the element and directed int-o the chamber in any suitable manner such 'as by means of a stripper plate 27 In the form of the invention shoivn in 3, the element 11 is arranged between super-posed reservoirs 28,-29, and the liquid from the `reservoir'28 Vvvill be delivered into I the reservoir 29 as the element 11 rotates,

and Whichiotation is produced byy meansV of a centrifugal pump 30 which receives its supply through lan inlet 31 having communi* cationy with the reservoir 29. The liquid is delivered from the pump 30 through the discharge pipe 32 having an outlet 33 delivering into the reservoir 28 adjacent the periphery of thev elementfll, Vand at a tangent thereto, `V so that the liquid which is being transferred from 4the reservoir 29 into the reservoir 28 operates uponV the element 11 to rotate it,

and ,thereby'intermittently delivers predeter#V .g mined quantities of the liquid into the reservoir 28 from the reservoir 29. 4At the same 4 time, air or gaseous fluid will be Withdrawn from the reservoir 29 by the element 11 and discharged,` into, the reservoir 28 through @.theliquid therein in theform of bubbles, and the airor gaseousfluid may be'directed away from the periphery of the element 11 by means of the stripper plateor A'element y 27. i The suction or partial Vacuum created in the reservoir 29 will be manifested in a pipe or passage 34, and the reservoir 28 is provided With a dischargeoutlet 35 having .a Valve 36 therein and which valve may be closed, so that a compression may be obtained in the reservoir 281 The production of the compression is obtained by maintaining theliquid in the reservoir 28 at a substantially constant level. y

In Fig. i the rotary element` 37 isA proy yideawah a plurality of iaeraiiyrpmjeaing Wings 38, producing spaces 39 therebetween to form buckets or pockets for receiving the 1i uid.

v i What is claimed as new is i l 1."I`n combination, means embodying a rotatable element for removing aV portion of liquid from a supply ofliquid, the said element also operating to deliver air or a gaseous fluid into the said supply ofliquid to replace the liquid removed therefrom by the said element, and provisions for inducingr circulation of a portion of the said .supply or body of liquid against one portioii of the saidV element and v-at Va tangent thereto, to `rotate the element and cause another portion ofthe element to operatel to remove Va portion of theliquid. Y* o 2. In combination,` means embodying a rotatable element forremoving aA portion of liquid from a supply ofliquid, the said e element also operating toedeliver airor a gaseous fluid'into theV said supply of liquid to replace the liquid removed therefrom 'by the saidelement, and provisions forr inducing circulation of a portion of themsaid supply or body of liquid against oneportion of the said element to rotate the element and cause another portion vof the element to operate to remove a portionof Vthe'fliquid, the said provisions embodyingV a "supply passage having( an outlet-'communicating with the saidbovdy'or supply of liquid, the

said outlet being disposed at a tangent to the said element. 4 Y

3. In o'fjnnbina'tiom` means embodying a rotatable 'element for removing Aa portionof liquid from a supply of liquid, the said element also operating to deliver air or a gaseousflui'd into the said supply of liquidto replace thel liquid removed therefrom by the said element, provisions for inducing circulation of portion of`the said supply or body ofliquid against one portion of the said element to rotate the element and cause another portion of the element Ato operate to remove a portion ofthe liquid, and' means Vdisliiosed adjacent the periphery of the said element for remoying the 'air or gaseous fluid from the periphery of the said element and directing the same-into the saidbody or supply of liquid. Y

4;. A n apparatus of the character described embodying a rotatable element, a

Vreservoir for impounding a desiredv quantity of liquid at a desired .elevationabove said velement whereby the elementvvhen rotated Will intermittently f`}deliver l predetermined quantitiesof the Yliquid from the reservoir,

and means for delivering the liquid'to the reservoir, the saidmeans embodying aV liquid deliver the liquid from the reservoir intermittently and in predetermined quantities, a reservoir for receiving the liquid discharged by the element, and means for transferring the liquid from the second recited reservoir back into the first recited reservoir, against the said element at a tangent thereto to rotate the element, the said element also operating to withdraw predetermined quantities of a gaseous fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir to create a suction therein and deliver the said iuid or vapor into the first recited reservoir to replace the liquid ,withdrawn therefrom.

6. An apparatus of the character described embodying a rotary element, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of liquid at a desired elevation above said element whereby the said element when rotated will deliver the liquid from the reservoir interT mittently and in predetermined quantities, a reservoir for receiving the liquid discharged by. the element, and means for transferring the liquidv from the second recited reservoir back into the lirst recited reservoir,

against the said element at a tangent thereto to rotate the element, the said element also operating to withdraw predetermined quantities of a gaseous fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir to create a suction therein and deliver the same into the irst said reservoir through the liquid therein to be compressed in the first said reservoir.

7. An apparatus of the character described embodying a rotary element, a reservoir for impounding` a desired quantity of water at a desired elevation above said element to be delivered to the element, a reservoir for receiving water discharged by said element, means for rotating the element, means whereby the rotation of the element will withdraw fluid or vapor from the second recited reservoir and deliver the same into the first recited reservoir, and means for trans- :terring the liquid from the second recited reservoir to the irst recited reservoir and delivering the liquid into the lirst recited reservoir adjacent and at a tangent to the periphery of the said element.

8. An apparatus 01"' the character described embodying a rotary element, a reservoir for impounding a desired quantity of water at a desired elevation above said element to be delivered to the element, means for rotating the element whereby the element will deliver the water from the reservoir, said element also Operating to deliver fluid or vapor into the reservoir and through the liquid therein, and means for delivering a supply of water into the reservoir against the periphery of the said element and at a tangent thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my Vname to this speciication, on this 8th day of August, A. D. 1918.

BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, J R. 

